Page contents:
- Register to order COVID19 tests for your employees
- NHS COVID19 App what businesses need to do
- Guidance and advice
- Reporting outbreaks of Coronavirus
- Advice for event organisers on gatherings such as entertainment events
- Buckinghamshire and Surrey Trading Standards business advice service
Register to order coronavirus tests for your employees
Use this service to get the forms you need to order coronavirus (COVID-19) rapid lateral flow tests for your employees.
Do not use this service if you or your employees have symptoms. Anyone with symptoms should order an individual test and stay at home. Register to order coronavirus tests for your employees - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
NHS COVID19 app launches 24 September what businesses need to do to be ready
The new NHS COVID19 app will be available to download from 24 September. Certain types of businesses will shortly have a legal requirement to display a QR poster at their premises ready for the general public to scan from the 24 September.
- Types of venues who will be legally obliged to display a QR poster are:
- Hospitality – bars, restaurants, hotels, cafes
- Tourism and Leisure – museums, galleries, gyms, leisure centres
- Local authority buildings
- Places of worship
- Close contact services
- Where an event is taking place in a physical location
Important information for businesses:-
- NHS COVID19 app explained
- How businesses need to prepare for NHS COVID19 app
- Contact logs versus QR code posters explained If individuals choose to check-in using the QR code poster they do not need to log in via any other route
- How to create your own QR poster
- Tips for displaying your poster
Videos explaining the app and QR code requirement:-
Test and Trace and how to manage a possible COVID-19 outbreak
Test and Trace
To support the NHS Test and Trace service, it is vital that employers play their part by:
- Following the latest government advice which explains how to work safely in a range of workplaces and situations
- Ensuring employees get tested if they present any coronavirus symptoms
- Encouraging employees to self-isolate if they have coronavirus symptoms or have been contacted by NHS Test and Trace
- Supporting any employees who need to self-isolate. This will stop the spread in your workplace and community
- Supporting staff to work from home if they feel able
- Directing employees to the Government's advice about what will happen to their pay whilst isolating and to your own sickness procedures
- If multiple cases of coronavirus appear in the workplace, employers should contact Surrey and Sussex's Health Protection teams to help manage the outbreak, by email - PHE.sshpu@nhs.net or telephone on 0344 225 3861 (option 3)
- Sharing our communication resources with employees to ensure they are well-informed and know what to do if they have symptoms.
Detailed workplace guidance is available on the Government's website.
How to manage a possible outbreak
Public Health England has created action cards for a range of business types to help owners and managers to manage an outbreak. These are designed to be printed or downloaded to keep on-hand in your business or organisation.
- Arts, heritage and cultural venues
- Cinemas, theatres, comedy venues and music venues
- Construction and outdoor work
- Dress fitters, tailors and fashion designers
- Hairdressing, barbershops, beauty and nail bars, makeup, and tattoo and spray tanning studios
- Manufacturing of food and other large processing plants
- Restaurants, pubs, bars, cafes or takeaways
- Shops and branches
- Spas, sports and massage therapy, wellbeing and holistic centres
Reporting outbreaks
Guidance for businesses and organisations on how to recognise, contain and report incidents of coronavirus is available on the gov.uk website.
Business Support
To find out how to access Coronavirus support for UK businesses and employees see GOV.UK Business Support.
In addition, for the latest Coronavirus (COVID-19) guidance for employees, employers and businesses please look at the information on GOV.UK, from Surrey Chambers of Commerce and Federation of Small Businesses.
Growth Hubs
The Department for Business, Enterprise and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) is encouraging businesses across England to contact their local Growth Hub to gain free and impartial advice on local and national business support during the COVID-19 crisis. Surrey has two Growth Hubs for east and west Surrey businesses:
- Coast to Capital Growth Hub – for businesses located in east Surrey (Epsom and Ewell, Mole Valley, Reigate and Banstead, Tandridge)
- Enterprise M3 Growth Hub - for businesses located in west Surrey (Elmbridge, Guildford, Runnymede, Spelthorne, Surrey Heath, Waverley, Woking)
For further information about the Government announcement on support for businesses please contact your local district or borough council via their website link or email address below.
- Elmbridge Borough Council - business@elmbridge.gov.uk
- Epsom and Ewell Borough Council
- Guildford Borough Council - business@guildford.gov.uk
- Mole Valley District Council - economicdevelopment@molevalley.gov.uk
- Reigate and Banstead Borough Council - economicprosperity@reigate-banstead.gov.uk
- Runnymede Borough Council - BusinessRunnymede@runnymede.gov.uk
- Spelthorne Borough Council - e.development@spelthorne.gov.uk
- Surrey Heath Borough Council - economic.development@surreyheath.gov.uk
- Tandridge District Council - businessrates@tandridge.gov.uk
- Waverley Borough Council - Business.rates@waverley.gov.uk
- Woking Borough Council - businessliaison@woking.gov.uk
COVID-19 - Advice for event organisers on gatherings such as entertainment events
During the COVID-19 pandemic in England, if you are looking to organise a gathering of more than 30 people such as for an entertainment event, then you will need to comply with the latest coronavirus regulations.
When national restrictions are in place, gatherings of more of 30 people for activities such as entertainment, are not allowed. When national restrictions are lifted, Local COVID Alert Levels (Medium, High, Very High) will apply to local authority areas and entertainment events are allowed following strict guidelines.
Gov.uk published details of the current restrictions and we also publish our Local COVID Alert Levels.
Organised events, such as entertainment, for gatherings of more than 30 people will need to:
- Be organised by a business, charitable, benevolent or philanthropic institution, a public body, or a political body
- Have a COVID-19 risk assessment
- Have adequate COVID-19 secure arrangements in place following government guidance
Further guidance on risk assessments and COVID-19 secure arrangements are available from the Health and Safety Executive and the Events Industry Forum.
We are working closely with the eleven District and Borough Council's across Surrey who are the Licensing Authorities for many types of events. To help event organisers, a COVID-19 checklist for events (PDF) has been developed to guide you through the COVID-19 secure arrangements that need to be in place for events.
If you have any questions or need further advice please contact the relevant District and Borough Council for where you plan to hold the event.
Buckinghamshire and Surrey Trading Standards business advice service
Buckinghamshire and Surrey Trading Standards business advice service remains open. We have temporarily suspended the need to register for advice. Please just get in touch with us Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm.
Tel 0300 123 2329 or email business.advice@surreycc.gov.uk
Finding answers to your questions
You may find answers to your questions quicker and more easily on our Coronavirus business advice page. On the page, both traders and consumers will find answers to most of the questions we are currently being asked about contracts, consumer rights, work cancellations, charges, deliveries, social distancing and much more.